Wildlife Refuge Manager.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS); Kulm (ND); On-site; USD 78,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Telework with supervisor approval

Federal benefits

Job summary

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) seeks a supervisory wildlife program manager to lead a team of professionals and support staff, ensuring high-quality work and adherence to professional standards.

You will develop long-range plans, approve land and aquatic conservation activities, and coordinate with partners to implement habitat restoration, monitoring, and research projects while applying current natural resource laws.

Qualifications

• Minimum 1 year of specialized experience coordinating wildlife refuge or natural resource programs.
• Experience evaluating habitat restoration or conservation projects.
• Knowledge of natural resource laws, regulations, and policies.

Responsibilities

• Supervise a diverse staff including professional and technical personnel.
• Develop long-range plans, annual work plans, budgets and schedules.
• Oversee habitat creation, restoration, and monitoring activities.
• Apply current laws and regulations to ensure compliance across the Refuge System.

Skills

Wildlife refuge management

Habitat restoration planning

Regulatory compliance

Budgeting & planning

Partnership coordination

Education

Degree: zoology, wildlife management or biology with specified coursework

Job description

Duties

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

• Supervise a team of professional, technical, analytical, administrative support staff, and blue-coloured workers (permanent and seasonal staff), setting a team attitude of adhering to high professional standards and completion of accurate, high-quality work.
• Develop long-range plans, annual work plans, budgets and work schedules.
• Oversee, review and approve land and aquatic conservation activities, habitat creation, restoration, and contaminant projects, research studies, population studies, wildlife inventory, and monitoring activities.
• Apply current and changing natural resources laws, rules and regulations that affect the National Wildlife Refuge System (e.g., water rights, rights-of-way, oil and gas, easements, fee title lands, etc.) to ensure compliance with all.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• You are required to wear a uniform and comply with uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
• A financial disclosure report will be required within 30 days of appointment.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1 year probationary period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest.

This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

This is a supervisory position that may require completion of a supervisory probationary period.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement – 11/16/2026 – unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.

For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either “full-time” (or “40 hours a week”) or “part-time” with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:

Basic Educational Requirement AND Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying.

Basic Educational Requirements

In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, you must meet at least one of the following:

• Degree: zoology, wildlife management, or an appropriate field of biology that included at least nine (9) semester hours in zoology; six (6) semester hours in such wildlife courses as mammalogy, ornithology, animal ecology, or wildlife management; and three (3) semester hours in botany, and three (3) semester hours in conservation biology. You must submit transcripts.

-OR-

• Combination of education and experience: course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Specialized Experience

To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level:

To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience includes 1) managing or coordinating wildlife refuge or natural resource management programs, such as planning and implementing wildlife and habitat management activities; 2) evaluating or coordinating biological, habitat restoration, or conservation projects; 3) applying natural resource laws, regulations, and policies; 4) developing or implementing annual work plans, budgets, or project priorities; and 5) coordinating with Federal, State, Tribal, local or other partners on natural resource management activities. You must include hours per week worked.

Volunteer Experience

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

This position has a mandatory education requirement.

You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

Foreign Education

To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit:

Additional information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

All DOI employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here,

Physical Demands

The work requires some physical exertion such as walking over wet, rough, uneven, or marshy surfaces; bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, reaching, or similar activities; and recurring lifting of moderately heavy items weighing up to 50 pounds. Work requires average agility and dexterity.

Working Environment

The work is performed both in an office and outdoors. The office is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated. You may be subject to large numbers of biting insects and may be required to work in close proximity to large animals.

The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.